The Glitch of Magic
by Callisto Star
Summary: Multi-cross AU in the universe of the Matrix (SM, GW,DBZ,YGO,HP,TM etc). She was a normal teenager, until a strange cat came and forced her into a deadly new life. Is she The One? Or is she something more... *please* Read and Review!
1. The Visitor

AN: Wow. Yet another new fic. This one came to me rather randomly, and as I began to scribble down ideas, they just kept coming. It's been brewing for awhile and here it finally is.

Hopefully, you're good faithful readers that have seen the Matrix. What?! You haven't?! Then go now and rent it and watch it. It's an AMAZING movie, my all time favorite after LotR. 

This fic begins before Neo was found. How much earlier depends on what you want the pairing to be. Is this crowd full of faithful Neo/Trinity SHIPers? Should I go with a pairing from one of the numerous other crossovers that will find their way into this fic? (i.e. Gundam Wing, some DBZ, probably Harry Potter and/or Card Captor Sakura, and others that might be randomly mentioned). We shall see...

I own absolutely nothing but the ideas from my own head. "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted.

Now let me work my magic and set you free! ::smiles mysteriously:: Enjoy.

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_Who am I? If only it were that simple._

_I have many names, names of the past, present, and future. Some are lost amid the endless streams of Time while others still lie in wait somewhere around the turn in this endless tunnel maze of Life._

_Some rejoice and call me the Light and Hope, the _one _who can free all people from this make-believe universe. Others shun me as the Darkest of Evils, naming me foul things for fear of the power I possess. _

_Who are you to choose? Is there really only one side to the looking glass? On which side do you stand? Will *you* follow the rabbit down whatever strange hole he leads you?_

_But if I am to save the world, the true question remains unanswered: _

_Who will save me?_

## USER LOG OFF HECATE_TENSHI ##

SYSTEM ERROR

C-DRIVE. STATUS: ERASED

BACKUP MEMORY. STATUS: LOST

SYSTEMS FAILURE. SHUTTING DOWN

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The soft summer rain traced watery rivulets down the clean glass of Usagi Tsukino's open window. Inside the pink cheery room, a teenaged girl with long golden locks in twin odangoes was amusing herself by reading the latest manga on her bed.

There was a soft sound at her open window, attracting Usagi's attention. She sat up and stared at the newcomer sitting outside her window... who gazed back with amber orbs and answered with a "meow".

Without waiting for an invitation, the black cat leapt from the branch outside the window to Usagi's windowsill and hopped to the floor. Usagi gazed at the cat compassionately-- the poor animal looked poorly fed and was soaking wet from the rain.

"Hold on a minute, kitty," said Usagi as she hopped up and ran out of her room. She returned with a bowl of milk and an arm full of towels. She placed the bowl before the cat, who immediately began to lap it up with her tongue. Then Usagi bent down and began to rub the feline dry.

"What's this?" asked Usagi as she reached its forehead. A wet Band-Aid loosely clung to the fur above the cat's eyes. The feline made a motion with its paw, as if to scratch the covering away. Carefully, Usagi tugged at the Band-Aid and pulled it off.

A brilliant light shot forth from the cat's forehead and briefly filled the room. Usagi jumped back in surprise, letting out a slight squeal of shock. She later insisted that it must have been her imagination, but as the light shot forth she could have sworn that the walls _rippled._

"A glitch," said a voice.

Usagi spun around in shock and prepared to defend herself if necessary. She nervously glanced around for the body of the voice of unknown origins. She was relieved to find that the room's only other occupant was strange cat, who was currently grooming herself.

Usagi crept closer. The weird light had cleared but a mark remained on the cat's forehead. She peered closer. Was it just a patch of skin? Or was it, as she suspected...

"A crescent moon," said the cat suddenly, looking directly at her. Usagi yelped and fell over in shock.

"You... you talk?!" she cried fearfully as she covered her head with her hands while staring at the creature.

The cat continued grooming herself. "Well yes," she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "My name is Luna."

Usagi let her hands fall slightly. "Um, Luna," began Usagi, not sure how to speak to a talking cat. "How- how can you... talk? And what was that light?"

Luna finished grooming. "I have always possessed the gift of speech. I am one of the few remaining cats of a once great species-- but that is a story for another day. Demo, what you have seen and heard is due to magic. Yes, magic," she repeated, seeing Usagi's surprised but delighted expression at the fairytale characteristic. Luna frowned. "No, it is a very serious matter. Something that the scientific 'experts' refused to acknowledge. Something the Matrix thus does not know how to combat. And our key weapon for the future."

Usagi looked completely confused. Luna continued. "The real world is not the world you have known, Usagi Tsukino." (Usa looked shocked that the cat knew her name.) "You are reaching a fork in the road. Forward lies an illusion that appears straight and clear. In the other direction lies a dirt road, paved with mud and pebbles. This road is twisting and difficult, but it is real. And if the obstacles and impasses and catch-22s are all overcome, this road ends in life. While this illusion in which you currently live will end in the death of you."

Luna stared at her with her penetrating amber orbs, stern and completely serious. "If They knew the power you possess, Usagi Tsukino, you would be exterminated immediately."

Usagi gulped. "Why me?" she mumbled, hugging her knees in terror.

Luna sternly walked closer to her. "I have been observing you for some time now, Usagi Tsukino, and I believe that you are the One."

"The One?" echoed Usagi, lost again.

"Hai. The One who will free us from the Matrix."

"The Matrix? What is the Matrix?"

Luna's eyes glimmered hauntingly. "That is the hacker's eternal question. A question and a mystery it remains, until it is experienced. You must see it to believe it."

She glanced around nervously. "Time is short and I have already said too much. There are many things to explain, but here is not the place to do it. You must chose now, Usagi Tsukino. Remain as a slave of the Matrix, a ditzy teenager who may well soon be discovered and disposed of. Or come with me now to a new and dangerous life, a hard life far different from anything you have experienced, and be the redeemer to the world."

Usagi gulped. "I..."

There was a sudden knock on her door. "Choose!" hissed Luna sharply as her back arched and her fur rose.

"Life!" cried Usagi desperately. "I choose life!"

Luna looked relieved as she did a quick flip in the air. A crystal fell to the ground, which Usagi picked up.

The knocking became pounding, and a male voice accompanied it. "Open up in there!" he commanded harshly. In her panic, Usagi could not identify if the voice was her father's, brother's, or a dangerous stranger's.

Luna hissed sharply. "They were closer on my trail then I expected!" She scampered towards the window and onto the branch. "Say Moon Prism Make-up!" she directed Usagi as she disappeared down the tree. [AN: She can climb down in my fic. :P ] "Good luck!"

"Moon . . . Prism . . . Make-up!" repeated Usagi as she held the crystal aloft. A white light engulfed her and she knew no more.

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AN: The next step toward freedom is by pushing the little button at the bottom of the screen. Forget red and blue pills! If enough people push that little button, Calli-chan will be back sooner with the next chapter and freedom from Agent Smelrond! Mwhahaha!!! (And remember to add input about the pairing!)

Ja!

USER LOG OFF CALLI_CHAN


	2. The Finding

AN: ::glomps crowd:: THANK YOU MINNA-CHAN!!!! And wasn't Reloaded spectacular? (Yeah, Zion was a bit... disturbing, but I thought it was well done. And I loved the Key Maker!! ::glomps::). 

Still debating about the pairing. (Mouse/Usa would be unique though, Loopy Lu! :D) I have a feeling I'm just gonna let this story grow and see how it turns out. Basically, Sadie Joyce, I am re-writing SM to an alternate universe. I'm not following it episode by episode or anything, but I'm taking the general idea and transferring it to a world where the senshi themselves must be saved before they can save the world.

Do not own SM, Matrix, or any others that randomly appear. Picking up right where we left off last time...

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Her eyes snapped open, and they widened in shock at what they saw.

The familiar weight of her long hair was gone, and her clothes were missing. Instead, she was submerged, bald and naked, in a pool of a gelatin substance. What happened? Where was she? How did she get here? A million questions flooded her brain as she panicked and desperately struggled to the surface. Breaking through the gelatin covering, she pulled the air tube from her mouth and let it drop. Slowly breathing in true air and covered in the sticky substance, she looked out at the horror around her.

Thousands upon millions of containers like her own stretched far into the distance. Like terraces, they were layered one on top of another on hundreds and hundreds of round electric towers. The electricity was raw and crackled up the towers. And in each container, there was a body...

Usagi began to breathe rapidly and fearfully and tried desperately to awaken from whatever nightmare she'd fallen into. She pinched and slapped herself, but to no avail. Finally, she found a large chord "plugged in" to the base of her neck and tugged it. It held firm.

Attracted by her movement, a strange machine flew over. The flying metalloid launched out an arm that clamped tightly around her neck as it gazed at the speechless human for a few moments, processing information. Then it determined that she was indeed dead to the Matrix and must be disposed of. It flew behind her and pulled some sort of needle from the large chord. The chord came off followed by numerous tubes that seemed to be connected to her spinal chord that consecutively popped off. Then the machine disposed of her,

With a slight squeal from vocal chords that had never been used, Usagi found herself flushed away like garbage. She tumbled down a large black tunnel, hurried along by the liquid from her container. She was strangely reminded of the slides in water parks back in Japan.

All too quickly, the "slide" ended and dumped her from the ceiling of some strange large sewer tunnel. Usagi fell deep into a mass of thick liquid. She struggled to reach the surface, but her limbs were weak from lack of use. She flailed her limbs desperately underwater, refusing to give up. But with the muscle capabilities of an infant in the body of a teenager, her body could do nothing.

After several minutes of desperation to no avail, her body succumbed to the darkness. Her eyes glazed over and her limbs stilled. Liquid seeped in through her partially opened mouth and continued to fill her lungs, drowning any life left in her.

~*~*~*~

A very angry captain stormed through the small passages of the resistance ship, Eros.

"I can't believe you, Luna!" she said with frustration as she whipped around the corners. "What came over you?! You find this girl, but you don't even *think* of giving her one of the pills. And with an agent knocking on her door, you didn't even give her much of a choice either! Do you *realize* how much she will hate you? How much she'll hate us for ruining her perfect life?!"

Aino Minako, captain of the Eros, stormed into the main deck with a black cat following meekly. "And that assumes that we can actually find her, of course. Without the pill, we have no tracking program pinned to her. For all we know, she could be anywhere, probably drowning in the sewers by now. How we are to find one soul among billions, I have no idea. Kami help us."

Luna swallowed nervously as Minako stormed over to the computers. "Quatre," she said, slamming her hand onto the Operator's table. "We need to locate the target. Presumably, she is somewhere in the 263-013011 sector. But since Luna forgot the crucial tracking program, *glare* we can't be sure. I need a map of the sewers of the area. We're going to have to fly through and see if the ship can pick up any strange movement in the area."

Quatre didn't interrupt for fear of angering the hyperactive captain even further. He furiously typed on the keyboard, and in a few moments, a 3-D blueprint of the maze of tunnels appeared on the screen.

"Right-o," said Minako with a sigh of annoyance. "We're gonna have to move into the main passage here," she said, gesturing to the map. "Follow that for awhile till we get to the area of the 263-013011 sector. Then we'll have to bring her down and move quietly through the side tunnels, praying to Kami that no squiddies are about. Keep your eyes open, but realize that our chances of finding this girl are now slim and none. The death waters will probably drown her body, and their current, drag her corpse to the birth farms before we can get there." Minako glared at Luna again. "And next time, don't waste our target." She stormed out of the room.

"Whoa, what's with her?" asked Duo, the Eros mechanic, as he entered the room after brushing against the seething Minako. Luna only looked meekly at the floor. "Luna freed the target but forgot the pill," Quatre explained quietly.

"Aw, Luna-babe," said Duo as he bent down to the cat's level. "Don't worry 'bout it. Everyone messes up every now and again. Even miss perfect kitty can't do it all all the time. There will be others--"

Luna looked up, her amber eyes glassy with water. "No... you don't understand. She trusted me. Trusted me so much that she sacrificed her life. I sensed great magic in her, greater than I have ever felt before. I was convinced that it would be enough, that with a little help, she could free herself and find her way her and... and save us all." Luna quickly turned away so that the teens wouldn't see her tears of shame. "I killed her..." she whispered in horror.

"Listen, Luna," said Quatre, jumping up suddenly and swinging into the Operator's seat. "This isn't over yet. We're gonna find this girl, and we're gonna save her!"

~*~*~*~

Her body succumbed, giving in to the sweet empty darkness, but her spirit refused to give up.

Had she been conscious, Usagi would have seen strange things happening to herself under the dark water. A faint glowing symbol appeared on her forehead, above her blank eyes. Even under water, some strange unseen wind or current seemed to push her body upwards, as the symbol's intensity increased. As she neared the surface, a great light erupted from her chest, which threw her out above the water.

Any witness would have seen strange things as ribbons shot from the light on her chest and clothed her in a strange pearly gown from ages past, while keeping her floating several feet above the liquid. A great burst of silver light shot forth from the symbol on her forehead as her trademark hair appeared in the odango style.

There she remained, the princess of a lost people, shining faintly in the darkness with her head slightly tilted back and her chest pointed upward, floating above the death waters of the Matrix.

~*~*~*~

Hours had passed, but they had found nothing. Quatre hopelessly guided the ship through the endless tunnels as Duo pessimistically watched. The rest of the crew had come, tried assisting for a few hours, but found nothing and gave up hope. Luna had already given up all hope and had left to be alone. All was silent, dark, and dead.

"You really should turn her around," said Duo quietly as he stared into the endless darkness. "We've passed into the next five sectors and found nothing. We're getting too far from the path..."

"I've got to keep going," insisted Quatre. "I said I would find this girl. I promised Luna I would save her. I know she's just another target, but I can only imagine how horrible it must be to finally be freed but die. And I can't let it happen. Not to someone Luna's worked so hard to free and believes in so much."

"Quatre, I'm sorry, but she could not have survived in the waters this long..." 

But even as he said the words, Duo saw some strange light shining from the bend in the tunnel. 

And as they turned the corner, he knew their search was over. There could be no mistaking it. This was the girl that Luna held so much faith in, the girl with the great magical potential, the girl that could not drown in the death waters.

The girl that could save them all and end this war forever.

Duo suddenly freaked out and broke the amazed silence. "Luna, Luna, LUNA!!!" he cried, running from the room, dancing around madly. "Luna! The target! You were right! LUNA!!!" He slid into the wall as the doors in the hall swung open in response to his commotion. Duo broke down laughing madly and nearly collided with Ranma, who was returning from the engine from. "Ru-man!" cried Duo with glee, jumping up again. "You've got to come with me, you won't believe it!"

Duo led the bewildered teen into the main deck, followed by a crowd of the rest of the crew. Minako pushed her way through, carrying both Luna and Artimes. "What's this abou--" she began, suddenly catching sight of the girl in the sewer.

Her hair golden hair shone like the sun with a silvery aura surrounding her. She appeared to be an angel or some celestial being, trapped amid the darkness of the dead Earth. "L-Lower the claw," Minako stammered.

It seemed as though the girl knew her wait was over. The aura suddenly disappeared and the gown became simple rags. Suspended in the air for a moment, gravity regained mastery and she suddenly plummeted towards the water. With a splash, the girl became submerged in the death waters. "LOWER THE CLAW!!!" screamed Minako. 

There was a desperate dash towards the lever until someone found it and controlled it. Out of the dark waters rose the strange girl, up into the belly of the Eros to begin her new life...

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AN: So, what do you think? If you want to see any particular characters from certain anime/books/TV shows etc, email me. Depending on how well I know the ____ , I might need you to give me a brief bio of this character. (And FYI, DBZ and probably HP will be making their appearances in the near future...) Thanks for reading and remember to let me know of any thoughts you have on the pairing. Thanks! Ja!

~Calli-chan

Want updates? Leave your email and I'll email you when I upload. Thanks!


	3. The New Life

AN: Thank you so much minna-chan for all the reviews! You guys really keep me going. 

As for the pairings, I'm gonna just write for awhile (probably until all the senshi are unplugged) with no particular pairing in mind. Sure there will be possibilities popping up all over the place. But it will be awhile until it is finalized, if ever. But keep the suggestions coming! And if there are any particular characters/animes/whatever that you want to see here, please let me know (and if would probably be a good idea to give me a brief summary about them). Domo arigato!!!

**LunarPrincess** - w00t!!!! ^_^" I admit that I'm not that familar withInuyasha yet, though it sounds great and Miroku sounds hilarious. Can you give me a little more of an idea what he's like, or where they might find him? Thanks!!! And yes, Ryoga will be appearing shortly (along with the other g-boys!).

"..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN or definition, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. I own none of the animes/manga/books/etc or their characters, only my own ideas. Enjoy!

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Darkness. Only darkness and weakness.

And then... pain. And strength! A dim light beaming down on her closed eyelids. And sounds... soft sounds that made no sense until suddenly the words fit together . . .

"...can't stay," a dignified, almost regal female voice was saying.

"Why not?" asked a more girlish voice with a pout in the tone.

"I want this girl to get the best training possible," said the regal voice. "If she is the One, as I believe, this will guarantee her invincibility."

The girl sighed. "Luna, does this have anything to do with the fact that she's the first one I've unplugged since I've been promoted to captain?"

The regal voice sighed in defeat. "Well, it's true, Minako, that though you'd do a fine job, I'd prefer someone with a little more... experience."

"We'll have to return to Zion," said the girl with resignation. "I'll tell Quatre to send out the signals and we'll see if anyone is willing to take her on board."

Usagi slowly opened her eyes as the two figures--one girl and one cat--left the room. Then she closed them again to return not to the hostile darkness but to a soothing sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

"Minako," said a male voice.

She squeaked in surprise and spun around to face him. "Ranma, don't _ever_ scare me like that again!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "It's just... I was passing by and couldn't help overhearing what you and Luna were saying. And... And I know where she could go."

"You do?" said Minako eagerly. "Someone who would willingly take on another crew member though she know nothing and has no experience whatsoever?"

"Yep," said Ranma with conviction. "It's my old ship, the Dragonball..."

"Goku's ship?!" Minako interrupted with surprise.

"One in the same. Everyone knows their crew is the best when it comes to martial arts. And they're the best trainers I have ever known. I learned everything from them."

"But they would willingly take on a fledgling?" said Minako, disbelieving.

"Goku's got a big heart, and it wouldn't take much to convince him. Plus, I'm good friends with his sons, and I'm sure they can put in a good word. It's Vegeta that might take some time to convince, but I'm sure he'll come around in the end."

"You're... you're sure?"

Ranma smirked. "I'll go send out the signal right now. We'll meet them in a week back in Zion."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"...healed surprisingly fast," someone was saying. Slowly, with great effort, Usagi opened her eyes. The room swam before her vision for a moment before settling into focus.

She was on a table with a blanket covering her body. The small pink-haired woman beside her noticed her open eyes. "Ah! You're awake!" she exclaimed. "I am Washu, the greatest scientist of the entire universe!!! You are Usagi, am I correct?"

Usagi nodded dumbly as Washu continued. "Usually once unplugged we don't keep the names the Matrix gave us. But yours... Bunny of the Moon, huh? Sounds like there is meaning behind it, hidden meaning that the computers did not intend. Perhaps it is a form of your magic making itself tangible in an intangible world."

Her words meant nothing to Usagi. "Where am I?" she asked, slowly sitting up.

"You are aboard the Eros, Resistance Ship-63."

"Resistance?"

"Oh yes, I forgot," said Washu with a worried look. "Luna didn't tell you anything before you were unplugged. Makes my job a bit more difficult. Where to begin?"

"What happened and why I am here," said Usagi helpfully. "And where are my parents and the spore and everyone? Where is Tokyo?"

A million questions continued to explode in Usagi's head, but Washu stopped her. "Whoa, girl. One question at a time. You're here because Luna noticed the great potential of suppressed magic you posses. How the kitty knows these things, I can't say, and I haven't been able to experiment on her to find out. But she noticed you, and she was pretty sure the Agents would soon notice you, too. And it's not a good thing to be noticed by the Agents-- more often than not, you end up dead. And to possess magic . . . There are some pockets of resistance within the Matrix that actively use magic, but any magic that is discovered is deleted. They are computers, based on factual data, and they can't understand the unfathomable realm of magic. And because they can't control magic, it causes problems: glitches, bugs, etc. And slowly, bit by bit, it wears away at the Matrix as a whole."

Usagi looked more confused than before. "Is still don't understand. What _is_ the Matrix?"

Washu sighed. "Relax, honey, this might take awhile . . ."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"The Real world..." murmured Usagi as she stared out a window at the barren wasteland whizzing by below them. Three days had past since Washu's explanation, and she was still struggling to believe that the world where she spent so many years of her life, that she remembered so well, was a lie.

"Hard to imagine, isn't it?" said a voice beside her.

Usagi jumped in surprise and spun around to find a boy with a short braid staring out the window. "Hard to imagine that none of it really happened..." he murmured with a nostalgic look on his face.

"Ranma, right?" asked Usagi.

The boy smiled and turned to face her. "Yep, that's me. Ranma Saotome, the best martial artist you'll find on this ship. I'm supposed to tell you that we're only an hour or two from Zion now."

Usagi sighed. "I don't understand why Luna's making me leave. I mean, there's so many nice people here..."

"She just wants the best possible training for you," explained Ranma. "And we're a rather new ship, with little experience in training fledglings. And the best place for martial arts is the Dragonball. Then of course, there's the issue of weapons, but I have a feeling Luna will let you learn from Duo or Quatre rather than sending you to Koneko's, the ship of assassins. So you see, it will only be a few years and then you'll be back on the Eros."

"Years?" gasped Usagi.

"Don't worry," Ranma assured her. "By the time your training is over, you won't want to leave."

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AN: Next time- Zion and meet the crew of the Dragonball! Thank you for reading and *please* review! Domo arigato minna-chan. Ja!

~Calli-chan


	4. Zion

AN: Well I'm back at last. Sorry for the delay, my computer's been having a lot of troubles and my internet connection is failing and unpredictable. Joy. 

Since it's been awhile, Last time: Usagi's arrival and slow adjustment to the Eros. Met Minako, Luna, Washu, Ranma, Duo, Quatre, and others. They're heading to Zion, where Usagi will change ships and join the crew of the Dragonball for training.

"..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN or definition, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. And Happy Belated International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day! (9/19) ARRR!!! 46 days till Revolutions!!!! Enjoy.

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"Zion," said Quatre as they walked down from the ship, savoring the word in his mouth.

"We'll be staying for a week or so while the ship is restocked and refueled," said Minako, addressing the crew. "So enjoy yourselves and relax."

There were several cheers as the Eros crowd hurried away from the ship into the throngs of Zion.

"RANMA!!" screamed a piercing feminine voice. Suddenly Ranma was overwhelmed by a crowd of strange women glomping him.

"What is it about *his* braid," muttered Duo sourly as they walked on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was uncomfortable at first, but Usagi eventually got used to the strange looks and whispers that seemed to follow her wherever she went in Zion. It wasn't until she bumped into a strange girl of about eighteen that she began to understand why.

Usagi apologized and moved to leave, but the girl was staring at her strangely. "How long have you been unplugged?" she asked incredulously, staring at Usagi's youthful face.

"I... well, it's only been a week or so..."

"But how is that possible!" said the girl with disbelief, bordering on anger. "Your hair! It's impossibly long! You must have been unplugged for years!"

Usagi self-consciously touched one of her odangoes. "No, I--"

"Let's go, Trinity," said a deep voice behind her. With only a jealous glare, the girl Trinity walked around Usagi to follow a tall black man through the corridor. It was then that Usagi noticed that the girl was bald.

"I see that you've met Morpheus," said a voice beside her.

Usagi yelped and spun around to see Quatre. "You've got to forgive him," he continued as Usagi overcame her surprise. "I don't know how much Luna has said, but rumor spreads. People have heard strange stories about you and your power, Usagi. Some are complete rubbish, of course, but many are based on the truth of how you were found floating in the sewer. And many are drawing their own conclusions, believing that you may be the One they have been waiting for. But Morpheus," Quatre glanced down the hall, "supposedly has been told that *_he*_ will find the One. And he's devoted his life to this search. So when someone new suddenly arrives and people start talking, well... he grows resentful. It's not fault of yours, Usagi. It's just the way he is..."

Usagi sadly gazed at the two retreating figures, somehow wishing she could prove the rumors wrong and ease tensions. But were they wrong? Usagi sighed miserably.

"I wanted to introduce you to some friends of mine," Quatre was saying.

"Huh?" asked Usagi

"You seem to be lonely in Zion, knowing no one save the crew of the Eros, most of whom you barely know at that. So I wanted to introduce you to some more people, some guys I've been friends with for... who knows how long. We were all unplugged when we were young and trained together . . . They're a strange group, but they're friendly enough, once they realize they can trust you."

Usagi was hesitant at Quatre's strange description, but she decided she had nothing to lose as she wandered through the underground city, following Quatre through caverns that all looking the same. She felt hopelessly lost, and was relieved when he finally stopped at a small alcove in the wall. He reached down to some kind of mechanic box, and swiped what looked like a credit card through it. Usagi gasped in surprise as the wall was suddenly pushed inward, then moved to the side entirely. The room beyond was dark and silent and large. It reminded Usagi of lecture halls from school, with terraces of desks on a semi-circle. But in this case, most of the space seemed unused. A large, currently blank screen occupied the center wall. Benches occupied the space where Usagi expected school desks to be, and the only desks in the room were on the lowest level. Several computer screens provided the only light in the room, illuminated the grim faces of three teens that continued to silently tap away on their keyboards. 

"Hey!" called Quatre as they walked into the room, but no one heard him. For at that exact moment, a door below the large screen appeared and slid aside.

"HEY WU-MAN!!!"

The Chinese man angrily looked up from his computer screen as Duo came flying into the room. "Hey, Wu-man, did ya miss me?" he asked loudly as he ruffled the Chinese's hair.

The Chinese teen growled. "Not in the least bit, Maxwell," he scowled, shoving Duo away from him.

"Aww... come on Wu-man, admit it," said Duo, poking 'Wu-man' in the back.

"I greatly enjoyed the two minutes of peace while you were off looking for food," said 'Wu-man', getting up from his desk. "And if you continue to disrupt our work, I will tear that baka braid off your head!" he cried. Duo squealed and the two proceeded to chase each other around the room.

Usagi couldn't help it. She giggled.

Immediately, Prussian eyes shot up from the computer screen, sensing something different in the room. He swung around suddenly, gun pointed at Usagi.

"Omae o korusu."

For a moment, time seemed to freeze as Usagi saw the steely relentless blue eyes staring at her, gun pointed at her heart. She gulped hard as she slowly saw Quatre call out and raise his arms in protest and Duo and the Chinese boy stop their chase as time returned to normal.

"Heero! No! This is Usagi, she's a friend!"

Heero's gun arm remained steady as Duo looked up, cocking his head sideways. "Hey!" he said, as one who suddenly discovered a surprise. "It's Usagi!"

In three leaps, he had bounded up the steps and surprised her by glomping her. [AN: to hug with enthusiasm] "Hey Usagi! How you liking Zion?"

"Well . . . ah . . . It's very interesting..."

"Usagi..." said the fifth boy [i.e. Trowa], standing up from his laptop. "So this is the girl we've been hearing about." 

"The onna who is rumored to be the One," scoffed Wufei. "What new ludicrousness is this? Injustice, I tell you!"

"I . . ." began Usagi, intending to defend herself when a strange beeping filled the air. The large central screen because blue, and writing began to appear on the computers as the teens rushed to their stations.

"What's going on?" asked Usagi fearfully.

"New mission," said Quatre without explanation as he hurried her towards the door. "Listen, follow this corridor till you pass three halls. Then turn left till you reach the flight of stairs that will be on your right. Follow that up two levels to R1 and turn left for three doors, before you take another left down the next hall. From there you should find Minako's cell easily enough. I've got to go now, I'll see you later, " he said, gently shoving her out the door.

When Usagi stumbled backward, she felt solid rock with no hint of a door remaining. And she felt hopelessly lost. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

She had tried to follow Quatre's directions, she really had. But, though her memory was never great, she suspected that Quatre had left out some major details. Such as how to find these things he called 'stairs'.

She had turned down the fourth corridor like he had said. But try as she might, she could not find these stairs he spoke of. It felt like she'd been wandering through this winding hall for hours, with no idea where she was or where she wanted to be. With a groan, she slumped down against the wall, ready to cry in despair.

"May I help you, miss?"

Quickly wiping her wet eyes, she looked up from her knees to see this new stranger. He was tall, well-toned, and handsome, with lovely lavender locks pulled back into a ponytail. She blushed red and scrambled to her feet.

"I'm a bit lost," she admitted, her face burning.

The stranger smiled. She was cute alright, kawaii like they usually don't make 'em in Zion. "Watashi wa Briefs Trunks. Maybe I can help you, miss, uh..."

"Tsukino Usagi," she completed. "I'm rather new to Zion. I'm supposed to be on level R1 somewhere, but I haven't a clue as to how to get there!"

"Don't worry," Trunks assured her. "You're not too far off. And I'd be happy to guide you there." Trunks smiled again and Usagi felt herself melt.

~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi suspected that Trunks had taken her the long way, as it was nearly an hour later before they reached R1 and were wandering through its halls, Usagi having no idea how to find Minako's chamber.

"USAGI!!!!!!" someone suddenly cried from behind them. They spun around to see Minako running up to them. "Usagi!" she cried again, grabbing her and pulling her away, "where have you been?! Luna's been looking for you!"

"Domo arigato, Trunks-san!" Usagi called as she was dragged along.

Trunks smiled once more, then was gone. 

***************************************************************************

AN: Mwhaha! And btw, the 'mission' of the G-boys will end up being minor and just a safety precaution, probably. That mission, at least, won't be entering the fic again. Review Responses before I go any further:

**Mystical Jade**- mwhahaha!! ::glomps Veggie-sama:: ;D

**Eyes-of-Pearl**- Actually, I had a similar idea and someone else will be with her on the Dragonball. ;D Wufei will remain in Zion for now, but I'll see if I can get in an encounter between Wufei and Veggie... that would be great! Domo arigato!

**Lady Alexis**- wow! Thanks a lot for that great list of animes/shows/stories/etc. Let's see... the other senshi are *definitely* on their way, but Usagi will have to find them in the Matrix similar to how she found them in the anime. Not sure whether they'll meet WK themselves, but the reference in the last chap to "Koneko, the ship of assassins" was about them. Don't know all that much about YYH, Trigun, or Lupin the Third, but if you can help me out, I'd love to include them. And I admit, I've been a real TV addict, so I only know the basics about Buffy, Angel, and Dark Angel. But I am thinking about including some kind of vampire/werewolf part, probably around the HP part, and some of these characters might find their way into that. I'm not sure how many super heroes (i.e. Superman, Spiderman, Kim Possible, etc) will be included, but I'll try to at least make small references, esp if they go to their "home city". And it _would_ be hilarious to see the Simpsons. We shall see... my goal is to include as much as possible, so I'll try. ;D

**LunarPrincess**- Hehe. ;D Unfortunately, I've ruled out Veggie or Goku pairings for this. Sorry, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I might make Veggie look on her (*eventually*) as a daughter, and there will probably be at least hints of romance with their sons. Gomen nasi! I really love Veggie and Goku pairings, but I had to stop somewhere. They are married after all. ;D Miroku sounds hilarious!!! I'm trying to get my hands on the manga, but I'm hoping to include that gang, probably on the next trip to Zion (whenever that is). Domo arigato!!! I want to add Outlaw Star too, though it's been forever and a day since I've seen it. Gene would have his own ship, of course. And the ship of assassins was meant to refer to the WK gang... I realized afterwards that people could interpret it *a lot* of different ways, gomen. Haruka will be entering later. ;D

**moon**- hehe, that would be a fun triangle. But it's gonna be awhile until YGO enters. We shall see...

**Loopy Lu**- Yeah, the Amazon Quartet would be a cool addition! I gotta try to figure out where I can fit them in though... hmm... I wasn't planning on having Chibi Usa show up, or at least not for awhile... hmm...

Also thank you to:

**Cosmicqueen**

**Guardian Dimension**

**datajana**

So, I believe the question of the hour is who you want Usagi to be paired with? (And don't forget about the other senshi and other animes that are on their way! ... Personally I was thinking of a Minako/Duo, but we shall see...) And how old should Gohan be? Is there enough interest in a possible Gohan pairing that he would be the same age as Trunks (or possibly Mirai Trunks... haven't decided which Trunks this is yet. ;) Goten and Chibi Trunks are great together, but I don't know... tell me what you think. And if you guys don't want any hint of Gohan pairing, I'll probably be included Videl. (I'm really not a Videl-basher, she just gets in the ways sometimes, lol!) And there will be another Ranma 1/2 character entering soon... mwhaha!

I have a nasty feeling it will be awhile before my internet connection is truly fixed, but I'll do my best to get the next chapter up ASAP. Gomen nasi! And please review, minna-chan. Domo arigato! Ja!

~Calli-chan


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